Cell "experiment" a huge success

(Above, below): Cell group discussion time. Later, the children rejoin the adults for food and fellowship.

Leadership is the ultimate goal for every member of West Coast Celebration (San Mateo, CA), where Pastor Sam and Sharlene Manu began their cell-based church in early 2004 using a non-traditional format to gather a scattered body of people who tend to be closer to friends at work than to their neighbors.

“We’re in our fourth year and not an ‘experiment’ anymore,” says Manu, who reports that his congregation has grown to nearly 100 in cell groups currently meeting in three homes. “Our leaders are the true measure of our church,” he adds.

The cells gather weekly, with some members coming from as much as an hour away, drawn by the meaningful relationships they are forming. Following fellowship and teaching time, each cell reforms into “confessional groups” of two or three people. Patterned after John Wesley’s bands, participants review the week’s blessings and struggles, confess their sins and ask to be held accountable through the week ahead. Members are also expected to spend 30 minutes a day in the scriptures and to witness to one person a week.

“I’ve done traditional church,” says Manu, in his 15th year of ministry. “It’s often program-driven, and the pastor gets drained in the process of finding people to volunteer to lead ministry. Here, we see leadership as a calling and we walk alongside one another in the process; more of my work as a pastor becomes the work of the body.”

Before planting West Coast Celebration, the Sierra Pacific Conference sent Manu to the Southern California Conference for monthly training sessions with Superintendent Steve Fitch, a cell guru. “Steve’s understanding and application of the cell church approach is revolutionary,” says Manu. “I hope the Free Methodist Church realizes what a fantastic resource he is!”